Location: Washington, D.C., United States (Hybrid, 2–3 days in office)
Contract: Full-Time
Salary Range: $127,000 – $158,000 USD
About the Organization:
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is a high-influence U.S. climate policy think tank working directly with:
- federal and state policymakers
- Fortune 500 companies
- international climate negotiators
- industry coalitions
They are not an advocacy group in the traditional sense.
They are a policy engineering hub that helps shape how climate innovation actually gets funded, scaled, and regulated.
About the Role:
This is a senior leadership role in climate innovation strategy.
You are not supporting a program.
You are designing and leading the program itself.
The focus is on accelerating clean energy technologies such as:
- hydrogen
- sustainable aviation fuel
- engineered carbon removal
- clean firm energy systems
This role sits at the intersection of: policy design + innovation systems + stakeholder power networks
What You’ll Do:
Program Strategy & Leadership
- Design and lead C2ES innovation strategy
- Expand and scale innovation programs across clean energy technologies
- Build and manage a high-performing team
- Set program direction and funding strategy
Policy & Systems Influence
- Work with policymakers on innovation and climate policy design
- Engage in federal funding and appropriations processes
- Shape U.S. innovation ecosystem strategy
- Identify commercialization pathways for emerging technologies
Stakeholder & Coalition Building
- Represent C2ES in high-level coalitions and forums
- Engage Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders
- Build cross-sector partnerships across government and private sector
Thought Leadership
- Produce policy and analytical outputs on clean energy innovation
- Translate technical and market insights into policy recommendations
- Represent organization in public speaking, panels, and briefings
Organizational Leadership
- Contribute to organizational strategy and culture
- Support DEI and internal capacity building
- Align resources across programs for maximum impact
Who They’re Looking For:
- 9–12+ years experience in:
- climate policy
- energy systems
- innovation strategy
- public-private sector engagement
- Deep understanding of U.S. energy innovation ecosystem
- Strong leadership and team management experience
- Ability to operate across policy, corporate, and nonprofit spaces
- Strong writing, communication, and convening skills
- Established professional network in climate/energy sectors
Why This Role Matters:
This is not operational ESG work.
This is systems-level influence over climate innovation architecture.
You are working on:
- what technologies get funded
- how they reach market scale
- how policy accelerates or blocks deployment
In plain terms:
You are shaping the pipeline that decides what the future energy system looks like.
Apply Here:
📩 Submit application (resume, cover letter, writing sample) via C2ES careers portal:
🌐 https://www.c2es.org/about/diversity-equity-inclusion-and-justice
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